The present invention generally relates to the field of insect collection and/or removal. More particularly, the present invention concerns an insect collection device which may be manually actuated to draw insects into an interior region for collection or extermination. The present invention also provides a method for capturing insects.
Insects are among the most industrious animals on Earth, capable of living in almost any land habitat. Nearly one million species of insects are known to exist, many of which serve industrially beneficial uses in the ecosystem, while others are capable of destroying crops, trees, and houses and even carry harmful diseases such as malaria. Insects also provide a source of enjoyment or entertainment for some whose hobby is their collection, and others who keep insects as pets by maintaining ant farms, beehives and the like. Perhaps for most others, however, insects are considered pests that bite or sting and appear in unwanted places such as homes, offices, restaurants, and the like.
Many different types of pest control products are available to alleviate such nuisances. For example, topical skin creams and sprays help deter insects from stinging or biting. Similarly, insecticides are used by many in homes and other indoor areas to help prevent insects from entering. However, while these types of treatments may temporarily lessen the nuisance attributed to insects, they are generally ineffective at alleviating the problem in its entirety.
When insects enter indoor areas, many are likely to remove or exterminate them. Depending on the extent of the problem, it may be necessary to consult a certified exterminator to alleviate the problem. Perhaps the most common, and simplest way of killing and removing an insect, however, is through the use of a flyswatter or other crude concoction such as a rolled-up newspaper. Commercially available flyswatters are both practical and inexpensive and typically have a long handle for reaching insects that have alighted from high or hard to reach areas. Though simple and efficient, the drawback to these types of techniques is the unsightly remnants of the insects which are left behind on walls or windows, necessitating an additional clean-up step for the individual. Other known insect extermination techniques include flypaper and xe2x80x9cbug lightsxe2x80x9d which serve to both attract and kill the flying insect. These types of devices, however, also have certain drawbacks that make their use indoors impractical because they are only efficient at killing insects in designated locations and also require subsequent removal of the exterminated pests.
Vacuum cleaners provide an attractive alternative to the aforementioned devices and have long been used to assist in the removal or extermination of insects. Vacuum cleaners typically do not present the individual with an additional clean-up step and provide a more sanitary and practical approach to removing insects from indoor areas. Vacuum cleaners are also more capable in removing insects due to the use of various attachments that extend the reach of the hose, narrow or widen the extent of the vacuum area, or provide special shapes that allow easy use for certain areas. Some attachments have been specifically designed to make the vacuum cleaner a more efficient tool for removing insects. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,095 to Aasen; 4,630,329 to Shores, and 4,488,331 to Ward each disclose attachments made for use with vacuum cleaners for the distinct purpose of capturing and removing insects.
While the collection of insects with a vacuum cleaner does not involve some of the uncleanly aspects of other conventional approaches, it too is not without certain disadvantages. For example, the length of an electrical cord or the length of the hose will limit the reach of many vacuum cleaners. Also, some vacuum cleaners can be cumbersome and awkward to maneuver, presenting a precarious situation for an operator requiring the use of a chair or a ladder to reach the insect. Finally, many vacuum cleaners have such a strong vacuum effect that the insect is killed once it is contained within the bag or other capturing device, such that these types of devices are not an attractive alternative for those individuals who want to capture insects for collection purposes.
There are several types of insect collection devices that have been designed to remedy some of these drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,960 and related U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,598, both to Wade, disclose a collection device designed as a handheld battery operated vacuum. Although this device is not as cumbersome as some vacuum cleaners, or limited by the length of an electrical cord, its reliance on batteries to generate the necessary vacuum creates a different disadvantage. In addition to adding a separate expense, batteries have a limited useful life requiring that be replaced or recharged to properly operate the device. As the battery begins to expire, it becomes less capable of capturing the insects. Since the operator may not be aware of the battery""s power, the device is less dependable, and capable of failure at an inopportune time. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,495 to Winnicki that discloses a handheld device wherein the insect is drawn into the device by means of a vacuum. Although this device is not dependent upon a separate power source, the vacuum is generated by the movement of a tube from a retracted position to an extended position. This requires the operator to ascertain the appropriate distance from which to hold the device from the insect to be captured. As a result, if the device is used incorrectly, the forward thrusting of the tube can potentially cause damage to walls, glass, or other surfaces on which the insect is found.
Accordingly, there remains a need to provide a new design and construction for an insect removal device that is easy to hold, does not require the an external power source, and that effectively captures the insect such that it does not escape. There is a further need to provide a design and construction for an insect removal device that is portable, easy to use and easy to manufacture and maintain. The present invention is directed to meeting these needs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful device for the collection and/or removal of insects
It is another object of the present invention to provide an insect collection device that uses a vacuum effect created by manual actuation to draw in and trap insects.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an insect collection device which is adaptable for use in hard to reach areas, such as crevices and other small enclosures, while alleviating the cleanup mess associated with known techniques.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an insect collection device that is lightweight, reusable, easy to use, and provides a sanitary way of collecting and removing insects for use in indoor areas.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an insect collection device with a viewing area to give the operator the ability view the captured insects, and to determine when the device needs to be cleaned.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an insect collection device that is easy to clean because it can be disassembled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an insect collection device having a mechanism capable of trapping the collected insect so as to prevent the insect from escaping the collection area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an insect collection device that is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture and inexpensive to purchased.
In accordance with these objectives, an insect collection device comprises an elongated and preferably tubular housing having a first end and extending from the first end in a downstream direction to terminate at a second end to define a housing interior. A partition separates the housing interior into a first/upstream region proximate to the first end and a second/downstream region proximate to the second end. The partition is constructed to permit air to flow between the first and second regions while impeding the passage of insects therebetween. A movable closure is disposed on a first end portion of the housing and moves between a first (closed) position to hinder access to the upstream region from the first end and a second (open) position to create an entryway into the upstream region from the first end. A compression chamber is disposed on a second end portion of the housing and operates when moved from a compressed position to an uncompressed position to urge the closure into the open position such that insects in a vicinity of the first end are drawn into the upstream region for collection.
Preferably, the compression chamber is in fluid communication with the downstream region of the housing and is also operative when moved from the uncompressed position to the compressed position to eject air from the housing interior and to create a vacuum within the housing interior when allowed to move from the compressed position to the uncompressed position. The insect collection device of the present invention also preferably includes a triggering assembly that is operative when placed in an engaged state to retain the compression chamber in the compressed position, and when moved from the engaged state to a disengaged state, to allow the compression chamber to return to the uncompressed position. To this end, the triggering assembly may include a plunger shaft moveable with the compression chamber between a retracted position when the compression chamber is in the uncompressed position and an armed position when the compression chamber is in the compressed position. The triggering assembly further includes a trigger switch operative to engagedly retain the plunger shaft in the armed position, thereby to define the engaged state for the triggering assembly, and to release from the plunger shaft to allow the compression chamber to move from the compressed position to the uncompressed position, thereby to define the disengaged state for the triggering assembly. The plunger shaft preferably has its proximal end connected to a butt end of the compression chamber and extends from the proximal end into the housing interior to terminate at a distal end. The trigger switch is resiliently biased into engagement with a notch when the plunger shaft is in the armed position. This notch may be formed as a region of reduced thickness along a medial portion of the plunger shaft. Where a triggering assembly is provided, the housing is preferably formed to include a trigger guard which projects on opposite sides of a trigger button that is coupled to the trigger switch.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the insect collection device comprises a tubular housing and compression chamber as discussed above, as well as a collection member releaseably disposed on the housing""s second end. The collection member may include a collection tube adapted to attach to the first end portion and having an outer surrounding sidewall which surrounds a collection region. A partition, as discussed above, is disposed within the collection tube to permit airflow between the collection region and the housing interior, while impeding the passage of insects therebetween. The moveable closure is disposed on an upstream end of the collection tube and moves between an open orientation whereby insects can be drawn into the collection region and a closed orientation to prohibit insects from entering into the collection region.
The moveable closure may be formed by a pair of trap doors. Alternatively, the moveable closure may include an annular ring which is sized and adapted to fit over the collection tube, and a plurality of closure flaps each having an attached portion secured to the webbing and a free portion to allow the closure flaps to swing about the attached portion as the compression chamber moves from the compressed position to the uncompressed position.
It is also preferred that the collection tube have a circumferential groove formed therein, with the partition formed as a screen mesh seated against this groove and tapered in the upstream direction toward the central longitudinally axis of the collection tube. With the exception of the primary housing section which supports the various components of the triggering assembly, etc., it is also preferred that the remaining upstream tubular sections of the insect collection device be transparent to allow for viewing of insects trapped therein.
In either of the above embodiments, it is preferred that the housing be selectively extensible to vary an effective length thereof. To this end, the housing extends along an central longitudinal axis and includes a plurality of tubular housing sections that are mateable with one another so that the effective length of the housing may be varied. Among these tubular housing sections is preferably a primary housing section that is releaseably attached to the compression chamber and formed by a pair of primary housing pieces that are mateable with one another. The compression chamber, which may be in the form of a flexible bellows, is attached to this primary housing section such as by a securement clamp. Where a plurality of tubular housing sections are provided, the moveable closure is disposed on a terminal, upstream one of these tubular housing sections.
It is preferred that the compression chamber be resiliently biased into the uncompressed position and that the moveable closure be biased into the closed position, yet urged into the open position as the compression chamber is returned to the uncompressed position from the compressed position. A purge valve may be associated with the housing and operates as the compression chamber moves from the uncompressed position to the compressed position to allow the air to escape from the housing interior.
The present invention also contemplates a method of capturing of insects. According to this methodology, an elongated retention tube is provided having a moveable closure at an upstream end portion that is biased into a closed position. Air is evacuated from the retention tube to establish a potential vacuum source therein. An upstream end portion of the retention tube is placed adjacent to a target insect, and air pressure is created within an interior upstream end portion of the retention tube that is less than ambient pressure at the upstream end whereby ambient air is drawn into the retention tube at a sufficient flow to cause the moveable closure to move into an open position and to draw the insect into the retention tube.
The method may also include a step of providing a compressible chamber at a downstream end portion of the retention tube, with the step of evacuating air from the retention tube being accomplished by compressing the chamber into a compressed position. Further, the step of creating air pressure within the upstream end portion of the retention tube that is less than ambient pressure may be accomplished by returning the compressible chamber to an uncompressed position. Finally, the step of evacuating air from the retention tube may be accomplished either before or after its upstream end portion is placed adjacent to the target insect.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: